What a hive of activity the school has been over the past few weeks. Our Year 12s have now finished their exams and await their results which will be released in early to mid-December. Our Year 10 and 11 students have completed exams and are experiencing their 2024 subjects via their Step-Up program, and our junior school students are finalising assessments and eagerly awaiting their Step-Up program that commences in early December.

To add to all of this, as communicated separately, the completion of the refurbishment of I-Block into a Senior School Centre has meant a number of tiered moves of staff in order for the next phase of works to commence. It has been an absolute joy to see the new Senior School Centre fully utilised this week with Step-Up classes timetabled into the spaces. It is also great to see the entire interior of B-Block now getting its facelift in readiness for welcoming our new cohort of Year 7s in 2024.

Please refer to the email sent last week with the update on the Capital Works program, as this contained important information of how to continue to access College reception among other things. The volume of information contained in the email reflects the logistical management and scale of what is currently underway across the school.

Our Year 9s have wrapped up their RAID program for the year with a fun-filled day at the Melton Wave Pool. This specially designed program that runs throughout the year in conjunction with the Year 9 curriculum has again been a huge success and I’ve no doubt students have taken many positives from the variety of experiences they’ve had. It has been great to read the regular reports in this newsletter written by the students themselves.

Our Year 8s last week participated in an incursion ‘Digital Thumbprint’. This externally led program teaches students about safety in the digital world – which as we all know is a rapidly changing landscape. I encourage all parents and carers (not just those of our Year 8 students) to read more about this program later in this edition and access the specific parent guide links.

On Friday 17th Nov, a wonderful evening was had celebrating our graduating class of 2023 at their Valedictory Dinner. It was a pleasure to see the happy faces of our Year 12 students and their families marking the wonderful milestone of the completion of 13-years of schooling. Staff in attendance were equally as happy to be sharing in the occasion and celebrating what these amazing young people have achieved. Regardless of the ATAR results that will be known in just a few weeks time, and the pathways these students choose, they’ve already achieved so much and should be incredibly proud of themselves, because the whole school certainly is.

Over the coming weeks I look forward to seeing our junior cohorts take on more responsibility, stepping up into their new classes and curriculum, welcoming our 2024 Year 7s on the state-wide orientation day and celebrating the achievements of our students at the College Awards Night – invitations for this event will be sent to select families later this week.

A reminder that Friday 1st December is a curriculum day for students as teachers will be completing final marking and report writing. Reports will be published to families on the 13th December. In support of the Step-Up program, all booklists, resource lists and parent payment information for 2024 can be obtained from the College website at https://gisbornesc.vic.edu.au/payments-book-lists-stationery/

As the year levels gradually finish up, I want to wish everyone well for these last few weeks of the 2023 school year and remind you to contact the College should you need any support or have any questions. Also, please see the below information shared with us from the office of Rob Mitchell, Federal Member for McEwen about the School Student Broadband Initiative.

Regards, Sarah

Dear Principals,

On behalf of Rob Mitchell, Federal Member for McEwen, we would like to share some good news on the School Student Broadband Initiative (SSBI) that you can distribute across your school community should you choose (flyer attached).

The Albanese Government is extending the SSBI to ensure families can stay connected longer, boost education opportunities, and narrow the digital divide. The nomination period will now be extended until December 2024. Most importantly the duration of free services will no longer be limited to 12 months. All families, existing and new, will receive a free service until the end of 2025. At the end of 2025 it is intended that all families connected under the initiative will be offered a discounted NBN plan to help them transition away from the free service and stay connected to home broadband. This follows the recent launch of the National Referral Centre, making it easier for eligible families to access the initiative. To be eligible, a family must:

Have a child living at home and enrolled in an Australian school.
Be referred by a nominating organisation or self-nominate through the National Referral Centre
Have no active broadband service over the NBN network.
Live in a premise where they can access a standard NBN service.

More information can be found here.

Families can contact the National Referral Centre on 1800 954 610 (Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm AEDT), by visiting www.anglicarevic.org/au/student-internet or emailing studentinternet@anglicarevic.org.au.

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